Chevron’s GM Mitra Kashanchi, SLC Refinery celebrating 70 years

Mitra Kashanchi

Iranian-born Mitra Kashanchi is the first female general manager (GM) of Chevron's Salt Lake City (SLC) Refinery. Since March 2017, when she first took on this position, Kashanchi has been accountable for safe, reliable and profitable operations at the refinery, as well as protecting the environment and the local community. She is also responsible for creating a healthy and safe culture of care and concern for the refinery's workforce, its business partners and its neighbors.

"I am proud to be the company's second female refinery manager -- and first at its Salt Lake Refinery," Kashanchi said.

Born and raised in Tehran, Iran, Kashanchi received her Bachelor of Science in chemistry from National University of Iran. In 1988, she came to the U.S. to pursue a Master of Science in chemistry. Upon graduating from California State University, Long Beach, in 1991, she was hired by Chevron as a chemist at its El Segundo, California, Refinery.

"I began my career in engineering in 1998, transitioning from my role as a chemist to process technology," Kashanchi explained. "I returned to California State University, Long Beach, and completed my Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering in 2002.

"Since then, I have held positions in engineering, operations and, ultimately, operations leadership. I have served in the roles of operations manager and business manager at Chevron refineries in Canada and California prior to my position in Utah."

Kashanchi said the most important skills needed for her current position as refinery manager are "the abilities to align and inspire your entire organization toward a common vision."

"A manager must build effective relationships with community and government stakeholders by exhibiting values that characterize the company at large," she said. "Chevron is known globally as the partner of choice in the communities in which we operate. We strive to ensure that we give back in a way that improves the lives of those around us.

"In Utah, we focus our social investment on three core areas: education, community wellbeing and conservation of Utah's natural beauty through education programs. We donate more than $1.3 million annually to teachers and partners in the state.

"Our success is driven by our people and their commitment to get results the right way: by operating responsibly, executing with excellence, applying innovative technologies and capturing new opportunities for profitable growth."

70 years of safe operation

Thomas C Calderwood - Chevron

Chevron's Salt Lake City Refinery is now celebrating 70 years of operations. The refinery opened in 1948 as part of Standard Oil Co. of California, and at that time, it processed crude from the company's Rangely field in Colorado.

The Salt Lake City Refinery currently runs a variety of crudes from Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Canada. This crude is delivered by both pipeline and truck. The site processes 58,000 barrels of crude per day. Products produced at the refinery are delivered to a region that spans from the Pacific Northwest to Las Vegas.

Chevron's safety culture has resulted in a very low injury rate for the facility. "The refinery is focused on care and concern for all of its employees and contractors, and we are committed to the program of Stop Work Authority to prevent any unsafe task," said Kashanchi. "I hope to continue the Salt Lake Refinery's success as a safe, reliable and profitable organization and a key contributor to Chevron's larger success.

"My biggest challenge is ensuring the safety of our employees and business partners. I am always conscious of how to be certain that everyone goes home just as safely as when he or she arrived at our facility. My greatest difficulty is hearing that someone has been injured. We all have family and friends who depend on us, so I feel obligated to keep safety as a core value. Our safety record has been excellent, but I can only be completely satisfied as a manager when we have zero safety incidents, year after year."

70 years of community partnership

According to Kashanchi, achievement means being a reliable community partner and improving the local community in which the refinery operates.

"We continuously work to expand capacity and deliver stronger net cash margin per barrel of oil. That said, our two most exciting projects right now are about doing the right thing for our employees and the community," Kashanchi stated. "In September 2016, we announced that we would be the first-ever refinery to retrofit our existing hydrofluoric (HF) acid alkylation unit to the ISOALKY™ technology that was invented by Chevron. This ionic liquid technology will significantly reduce the risk profile of our facility and prove to refiners globally that Chevron has invented a viable technology that can replace HF acid usage.

"We are also currently building a new process technology that will allow us to strip sulfur from one of our main blending streams for motor gasoline. The technology, called Thiocon, will enable us to sell low-sulfur, Tier 3 motor gasoline in Utah. This will help improve air quality in Utah."

Kashanchi is also a board member of Utah's Air Quality Board, which works on issues of air quality policy for the state, in addition to being involved with Chevron's membership in the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). Most recently, she has become a member of the Board of Trustees of the Utah Symphony and Utah Opera.

"I am also involved in our company's employee network for women and other internal groups, as it is important for me to share experiences and mentor fellow colleagues," Kashanchi added.

70 more years to come

As the world's population continues to grow, so, too, will global demand for energy. "We are looking toward the future, working to develop generations of talent inside and outside our company, proudly and responsibly leading in conventional energy sources while exploring and evaluating new and emerging energy solutions, and leveraging technology to improve efficiency and productivity while solving the most complex energy challenges of our time," Kashanchi said. "And above all, we are creating value for our stockholders, customers, partners and communities."

As demand for the refinery's products grows, Kashanchi is confident the industry will continue to prioritize safety, reduce energy poverty, drive economic and social development worldwide, and hold ingenuity as a core principle.

"From our work around the globe to the Salt Lake Refinery, the future means making energy cleaner, more efficient and more affordable," she said. "I am also certain that the future holds a greater commitment to diversity and inclusion. I hope to see a more diverse workforce, which will lend new perspectives to how decisions are made. I know that the industry will benefit from these new perspectives."